A light-sensitive material which comprises a support and a light-sensitive layer containing silver halide, a reducing agent and a polymerizable compound is employed in an image-forming method which comprises imagewise exposing the light-sensitive material and simultaneously or thereafter developing the light-sensitive material to imagewise polymerize the polymerizable compound.
The development process of the light-sensitive material in the image-forming method includes a wet development process which employs a developing solution and a heat development process (dry process) which is conducted under conditions substantially not containing water.
Examples of the image-forming method using the wet developing process of wet type are described in Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 45(1970)-11149 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 3,697,275), 47(1972)-20741 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 3,687,667) and 49(1974)-10697, and Japanese Patent Provisional Publication Nos. 57(1982)-138632 and 58(1983)-169143. Those image-forming methods described require a development process using a large amount of a developing solution. The process further requires a relatively long time for the operation.
Examples of the image-forming method using the heat developing process are described in Japanese Patent Provisional Publications Nos. 61(1986)-69062, 61(1986)-73145 (the content of both publications are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,676 and European Patent Provisional Publication No. 0174634A2) and 62(1987)-70836. Those image-forming methods using the heat development process can easily and rapidly give a clear image without producing waste liquid of the developing solution.
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 62(1986)-73145 further discloses an image-forming method in which the heat development process is carried out under such a condition that the amount of oxygen contained in the light-sensitive layer of the light-sensitive material is restrained. Oxygen serves as a polymerization inhibitor, so that the elimination of the influences of oxygen makes it possible to form an image with high sensitivity. The above-mentioned publication also discloses concrete methods for restraining the amount of oxygen contained in the light-sensitive layer. One is a method wherein a heat developing process is carried out in a gas having an oxygen content which is lower than that in the air (e.g., nitrogen). Another is a method of using an oxygen-impermeable cover. Otherwise, Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 62(1987)-209443 discloses a light-sensitive material containing a compound having two or more mercapto groups which restrains the amount of oxygen contained in the light-sensitive layer.